Home Bar

Turn of the Century

March 28, 2017 No Comments

INGREDIENTS:
1.5 oz single malt Scotch whisky
0.5 oz dry vermouth
1 oz white chocolate syrup*
0.5 oz fresh lemon juice
3 dashes Bittered Sling Malagasy Chocolate Bitters
candied cocoa nibs

METHOD:
Pre-chill an Old Fashioned glass. Add ice and all liquid ingredients to a cocktail shaker and shake vigorously for 15 seconds. Strain over crushed ice into your glass. Garnish with candied cocoa nibs.

*White chocolate syrup: Boil 2 cups heavy cream and pour over 6 oz white chocolate chips, stirring to dissolve. Reserve in a sealable jar or bottle and refrigerate until needed.

—by Justin Taylor

Home Bar, Recipes

Spicy Oaxaca Old Fashioned

March 28, 2017 No Comments

INGREDIENTS:
2 oz mezcal
0.5 oz cocoa nib syrup*
2 dashes Scrappy’s Fire Water
1 dash Angostura bitters
orange zest for garnish

METHOD:
Pre-chill an Old Fashioned glass. Add all liquid ingredients to a mixing glass with ice and stir for 20 seconds. Strain cocktail into the glass, over fresh ice. Garnish with orange zest.

*Cocoa nib syrup: Add 1 cup cocoa nibs, 1 cup raw sugar and 1.5 cups water to a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, stir, and simmer for 10 minutes. Allow syrup to cool and strain into a sealable bottle or mason jar and refrigerate (it will keep for about four weeks). Dry the nibs on parchment paper to use as garnish.

—by Justin Taylor

Home Bar, Recipes

Dad’s Hot Chocolate

March 28, 2017 No Comments

INGREDIENTS:
4 oz 70 per cent dark baking chocolate
3 tbsp cocoa powder
0.5 tsp salt
1 cup sugar
8 cups whole milk
1 cup Fernet Branca
0.5 cup peppermint liqueur
12 dashes Angostura Bitters
marshmallows or whipped cream for garnish (optional)
shaved tonka bean for garnish (optional)

METHOD:
Add chocolate, cocoa powder, milk, sugar and salt to a medium saucepan and heat gently, stirring constantly. As the mixture reaches a slow boil, remove from heat and add liquor. Pour into mugs and garnish with whipped cream or marshmallows, and shaved tonka bean. Makes 8 cups.

—by Justin Taylor

Home Bar

I Should Cocoa

March 28, 2017 No Comments

Drinking chocolate comes of age in spirit-forward cocktails

Home Bar, The Alchemist

How to stock your spirits cabinet

February 24, 2017 No Comments

Nightingale head bartender Rhett Williams. Dan Toulgoet photo

Every cocktail starts with a base spirit. Every home cocktail bar should do the same. The question is, what spirits do you really need to stock at home? What’s worth spending money on (and what isn’t)? After all, those bright, shiny bottles can be expensive.

Home Bar, The Alchemist

Cocktail books every home bartender should own

February 17, 2017 No Comments

Take a note from the experts and decorate your coffee table with this hit list of Cocktail books. Photo courtesy of The Canon Cocktail Book.

Stocking your home bar? Before you invest in spirits, tools and glassware (not to mention that handy bar cart), you should get some expert advice. Luckily, there are plenty of great cocktail books out there to help you make the right choices.

Here are the essential tomes to quench your thirst for both well-made cocktails and the know-how to make them.

Home Bar, The Alchemist

How to build the perfect home bar

February 10, 2017 No Comments

Rod Moore, owner of the Modern Bartender and the Shameful Tiki Room, with some essentials for the home bar. Dan Toulgoet photo.

Back in 2012, when Rod Moore was about to open his dream bar, the Shameful Tiki Room, he ran into a problem. “It was a nightmare trying to find stuff – even basic tools and bitters,” he says, remembering running all over town to find shakers, jiggers, strainers and glassware. As for specialty tiki mugs? Not a chance.

Home Bar

Cool Yule

November 7, 2016 No Comments

Warm up with these festive cocktails

Whether it’s a glass of eggnog, a hot buttered rum, or a mug of spicy mulled wine, the winter season is loaded with tasty cocktails. What makes them ideal for the home bartender is their reliance on easily sourced pantry ingredients: spices (cinnamon, clove and nutmeg), fresh herbs (rosemary, thyme and sage), and fruits (mandarins, cranberries and pomegranates). Here are my family recipes for iconic winter cocktails—and a twist or two designed to take your holiday gathering to the next level.

Home Bar, Recipes

Hot Buttered Rum

November 7, 2016 No Comments

Making the compound butter in advance will improve the finished drink. You could also package it for a seasonal gift.

INGREDIENTS:
2 tsp compound butter*
6 oz. boiling water
1-2 oz. dark rum to taste
cinnamon stick

METHOD:
Combine compound butter and boiling water in your serving mug and stir to dissolve. Add rum and garnish with a cinnamon stick.

Home Bar, Recipes

Cranberry Collins

November 7, 2016 No Comments

A perfect welcome cocktail to any holiday party and one that can also be served alcohol-free.

INGREDIENTS:
2 oz. gin
1 oz. freshly squeezed lime juice
1 oz. pure cranberry juice
1 oz. rosemary and sage syrup*
3 oz. soda water
rosemary sprigs

METHOD:
To a tall glass, add gin, juices and syrup. Add ice and top with soda. Garnish with rosemary.